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KRAS mutation testing of metastatic colorectal cancer in A ustralia: Where are we at?
Author(s) -
Scott Rodney J.,
Fox Stephen B.,
Desai Jayesh,
Grieu Fabienne,
Amanuel Benhur,
Garrett Kerryn,
Harraway James,
Cheetham Glenice,
Pattle Neville,
Haddad Afaf,
Byron Keith,
Rudzki Barney,
Waring Paul,
Iacopetta Barry
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
asia‐pacific journal of clinical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1743-7563
pISSN - 1743-7555
DOI - 10.1111/ajco.12201
Subject(s) - kras , medicine , turnaround time , colorectal cancer , neuroblastoma ras viral oncogene homolog , oncology , mutation , cancer , biology , genetics , computer science , gene , operating system
Aim To carry out a nationwide study of KRAS testing in metastatic colorectal cancer as reported by nine major molecular pathology service providers in A ustralia, including mutation frequencies and turnaround times that might impact on patient care. Methods Participating laboratories contributed information on KRAS mutation frequencies, including the G 13 D mutation type, as well as turnaround times for tumor block retrieval and testing. Results The KRAS mutation frequency observed by nine different test sites for a total of 3688 metastatic colorectal cancers ranged from 34.4% to 40.7%, with an average across all sites of 38.8%. The average frequency of the G 13 D mutation type among all cases was 8.0%. The median turnaround time was 17 days (range 0–191), with 20% of cases requiring more than 4 weeks for a KRAS test result. The major contributor to long turnaround times was the time taken to retrieve archived blocks of primary tumor, particularly from sources external to the test site. Conclusion The frequency of KRAS mutations in metastatic colorectal cancer reported by the major Australian test sites is very similar to that reported by other large overseas studies. More widespread introduction of routine testing at the time of initial diagnosis should eliminate the long turnaround times currently being experienced in a significant proportion of cases. Future expansion of testing to include other KRAS and NRAS mutation hotspots may spur the introduction of next‐generation sequencing platforms.